Tivat in 10 days

Leave the car in the Arsenal car park or in the car park provided by your central Tivat accommodation. Walk into Porto Montenegro and follow the marina towards the former Arsenal shipyard. Several industrial buildings remain among the newer marina buildings, giving the waterfront a visible link to Tivat's naval past. Continue along the piers for a broad view of Tivat Bay, then walk to the Naval Heritage Collection.

Displays inside the collection explain how the Arsenal operated and what life was like for the people who worked at the naval base. The P-821 Heroj submarine is the central exhibit. Its confined passageways, bunks and control equipment make the working conditions far clearer than an exterior view alone. Confirm the entry time before setting out, then rejoin the waterfront and continue towards Great City Park.

Walk a circuit through Great City Park, where plants brought back by sailors have created an unusually varied collection of trees and shrubs. Continue to the medieval Buća summer house, now home to museum and gallery displays connected with Tivat. From the stone complex, head downhill to the waterfront and turn towards Pine.

Follow Pine to Kalimanj marina, then return along the same shore. This final stretch joins the town centre, the small harbour and Porto Montenegro without another drive. Walk back to the Arsenal car park if you left the car there, or finish directly at the same Tivat accommodation where the day began.

Drive from Tivat to Benovo car park in Kotor and keep the car there throughout the Old Town walk. Cross the Škurda River and use the North Gate, which places St Mary of the River at the start of the route and the Sea Gate at the finish. The car remains outside the walls while every central sight is reached on foot.

Begin at St Mary of the River and cross the old town to St Luke and St Nicholas. Continue south for St Tryphon's Cathedral, then weave back through the lanes to the Clock Tower and Square of Arms. Leave through the Sea Gate for a short waterside section before returning to Benovo and setting off for Perast.

The drive from Kotor takes 20 to 30 minutes. Park at the entrance on the Kotor side and follow Perast's waterfront past the Zmajević, Smekja and Bujović palaces to St Nicholas Square. Join a return boat from the central pier to Our Lady of the Rocks and allow roughly 45 minutes for the church, island and museum. Back on shore, walk the western end of the waterfront before collecting the car.

Drive back through Kotor and allow 40 to 55 minutes to reach Prčanj. The broad stairway of the Baroque Church of the Nativity of the Virgin rises directly from the waterfront and makes a clear focal point for the visit. Walk a short stretch beside the stone captains' houses, then return to the car and continue towards Stoliv.

Follow the western shore through Stoliv and Lepetane, completing this section of the Bay circuit. In Tivat, leave the car at the same hotel or apartment and stay there for the second night. The next morning also begins from this address.

Drive 15 to 20 minutes from Tivat and park beside the Solila entrance. A path between the former salt pans passes reed beds, shallow pools and open water used by migrating birds. Read the interpretation panels along one section, then retrace the path to the car and head for Radovići and Pržno Bay.

The Plavi Horizonti car park is about 15 minutes from Solila. Walk down to the sheltered bay, where the beach has a gentle entry and pine trees line its edges. Before swimming, take the rocky path along one side to see the complete curve of the bay. Return to the same car park and drive through Radovići to Luštica Bay.

Allow 15 to 20 minutes from Plavi Horizonti and use the visitor car park above Marina Village. Walk around the harbour, then climb through the upper streets to see how the settlement occupies the steep shore of Trašte Bay. Have lunch here, walk back to the car and begin the longer crossing of Luštica.

The journey from Luštica Bay through the peninsula's villages takes 40 to 55 minutes. Leave the car in the marked area above Žanjice and descend to the pebble beach facing the entrance to the Bay of Kotor. Follow the short coastal path to Mirište, walk back to Žanjice and leave enough time for a swim before returning to the car.

Drive back through the Luštica villages and Radovići, then rejoin the road near Solila. Return the car to the same Tivat hotel or apartment car park. The third day ends at the accommodation from which it started.

Drive from Tivat through Budva and Cetinje, then continue to Rijeka Crnojevića. Leave the car in the marked area before the narrow waterfront. Cross Danilo's stone bridge and walk beside the low riverside houses on the opposite bank. An hour here is enough to see the bridge, the old trading waterfront and the river channel that once connected the settlement with Lake Skadar.

Drive for about 15 minutes to Pavlova Strana. The viewpoint looks across the complete horseshoe bend of the Rijeka Crnojevića as it threads through wetland vegetation towards the lake. Allow about 20 minutes at the viewpoint, then continue to Virpazar.

The drive from Pavlova Strana to Virpazar takes 35 to 50 minutes. Use the large public car park beside the main bridge, cross into the small centre and follow the path uphill to Besac Fortress. From the walls, the view covers the roofs, river channels and edge of Lake Skadar. Walk back to the pier and meet the boat operator you booked in advance.

Choose a trip that leaves from and returns to Virpazar. The route first passes through reed beds and water lilies before reaching broader water with views towards Vranjina and the surrounding hills. These wetland channels are the part of the lake that cannot be understood from the shore. Have lunch after the boat returns, then collect the car.

Drive from Virpazar back to the coast and continue to Tivat. Leave the car in the car park for the same hotel or apartment. The fourth day finishes at the address where it began.

Allow 35 to 50 minutes from Tivat and leave the car in TQ Plaza Garage. Walk down Mediteranska Street and along the promenade to the marina gate of the Old Town. Visit the Citadel, St John's Church and the small square between the churches, then follow the lanes by the southern wall. Leave towards Richard's Head Beach and walk towards Mogren for a view back across the fortifications before returning to TQ Plaza.

Drive for 20 to 30 minutes and use Parking Miločer. The coastal path runs through cypress and olive trees beside the former royal summer residence, passing King's Beach on the way towards Queen's Beach. Look back towards the Sveti Stefan peninsula from the shoreline path, then walk through the park to the same car park and continue to Petrovac.

Petrovac is 20 to 30 minutes from Miločer. Park at Autobuska Petrovac and walk to the main beach, then cover the full promenade to Kastio Fortress at the western end. Its terrace looks over the harbour, the bay and the islets of Katič and Sveta Nedjelja. Return through the older streets and along the shore, then follow the same road back to the car.

Drive back from Petrovac and finish at the same Tivat hotel or apartment. Park there for the fifth night and spend the rest of the evening in Tivat. The Lovćen outing starts from this address the following morning.

Set Tourist Parking by Ćipur on Štampara Makarija Street as the destination from Tivat. Keep the car there while visiting central Cetinje. The remains of Ćipur Monastery and King Nikola's Museum are beside the car park, while Court Square, Biljarda, Cetinje Monastery and Njegoševa Street form one continuous walking route.

Begin around Court Square with the former royal palace and Biljarda, the residence created for Petar II Petrović Njegoš. Continue to Cetinje Monastery to see the church and the setting of its treasury, then walk along Njegoševa Street past former diplomatic buildings and the low historic core. Return to the car after this complete circuit and drive towards Lovćen.

The drive from Cetinje to the parking area below the mausoleum takes 35 to 50 minutes. Climb 461 steps and pass through the tunnel into the memorial. Black granite figures frame the entrance, a gold mosaic fills the ceiling above the seated Njegoš, and the marble sarcophagus is in the lower chamber. Walk through to the circular mountain viewpoint, then descend and continue to Njeguši.

Allow 30 to 40 minutes from the mausoleum to Njeguši. Inside the birthplace, the rooms and family objects place the poet and ruler within the Petrović dynasty and the village in which he grew up. Follow the visit with cured ham, cheese and a late lunch in Njeguši, then return to the car for the old road towards Kotor.

Descend towards Kotor and continue around the bay to Tivat. The route changes from Lovćen's stone slopes to the Old Town far below and finally to the waterfront. Park at the same accommodation and spend the sixth night in Tivat.

The drive from Tivat takes 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 20 minutes. Leave the car by the Old Town Gate or on the plateau beneath the bazaar, then walk uphill through the shops to the fortified entrance. Inside the walls, follow the lanes to the palace remains, churches, hammam and Clock Tower. The restored aqueduct shows how water reached this hilltop town. Return through the bazaar and drive to Ulcinj.

Allow 35 to 50 minutes to reach Ulcinj and park at Skela or Stari Grad. Enter the Kalaja through its lower gate, climb to the former Slave Square and Balšić Tower, then follow the upper lanes between stone houses and Adriatic viewpoints. Descend towards Small Beach and the Pristan waterfront before walking back to the car.

Drive 20 to 30 minutes from Ulcinj to the Dolcinium car park. Step onto Velika Plaža at the developed beach access and walk along the sand far enough to appreciate the scale of the shore towards the Bojana River. Allow time for a swim or an early meal, then return to the car for the journey to Tivat.

Travel north through Ulcinj and Bar, then follow the coast back to Tivat. As this is one of the longest homeward journeys in the itinerary, Velika Plaža is the day's final visit. Park at the same hotel or apartment and spend the seventh night there.

The journey from Tivat to Lower Ostrog takes 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes. Visit the Church of the Holy Trinity before driving up to the car park below Upper Ostrog and walking the remaining section. The white monastery is built into the cliff and contains the relics of St Basil of Ostrog. It is an active pilgrimage site, so cover shoulders and knees and enter the churches quietly. Return to the car and continue to Nikšić.

Allow 45 to 60 minutes from Ostrog and park close to Freedom Square. Its broad radial layout is the starting point for a walk to King Nikola's Palace and the Cathedral Church of St Basil of Ostrog. Continue to the surviving walls of Bedem Fortress above the oldest quarter, then return through the town centre to the car.

Drive 10 to 15 minutes from Nikšić to the developed access area at Lake Krupac. Walk along the water towards the dam, with the low hills and higher mountains beyond Nikšić visible across the lake. Spend about an hour on the shore after the city walk, then return to the car and set off for Tivat.

Head south from Lake Krupac and continue directly to the same Tivat hotel or apartment. Leave the car there and spend the eighth night at the established base. The longer Durmitor outing begins from this address early the next morning.

Leave Tivat early and travel through Nikšić and Šavnik to Žabljak. Use the Durmitor National Park entrance at Ivan Do as your destination and park in the visitor area. From here, a paved forest path of roughly 600 metres reaches Black Lake and the start of the marked circular trail.

Take the four kilometre trail around Great Lake and Small Lake. It moves through conifers, crosses roots and brief uneven patches, and opens repeatedly towards Mount Međed. The walking itself may take around an hour, but the full allowance leaves time for the shore and the panels explaining the two lake basins. Complete the circuit at the original lakeside point and walk back to the car.

Drive back into Žabljak and park near the centre. Have lunch and walk through the low mountain town on the Jezerska Plateau. It is the principal base for Durmitor, and the surrounding peaks remain visible between its streets. Return to the car after lunch and continue towards the Tara River.

The bridge is 30 to 40 minutes from Žabljak. Leave the car in the marked parking area and walk onto the span for views of its five concrete arches, the Tara River deep below and the wooded canyon in both directions. Walk beyond the largest arch to change the perspective, then return to the same car park.

Travel back through Žabljak, Šavnik and Nikšić to Tivat. The ninth day ends at the parking for the same hotel or apartment used on every previous night. Keep this Tivat room for the final night as well.

Allow 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes from Tivat and use the car park beside Morača Monastery. Within the stone courtyard, visit the Church of the Dormition and its medieval frescoes, followed by the smaller Church of St Nicholas. The whole compact complex stands above the Morača River. Cover shoulders and knees, then return to the car and travel onwards to Kolašin.

The journey from the monastery to Kolašin takes 35 to 45 minutes. Leave the car in the enclosed public car park on Buda Tomovića Street opposite the Municipal Building. Walk to Trg boraca and around the compact town centre, using Kolašin as the lunch stop for the day. Return to the car afterwards and continue to Biogradska Gora.

Drive for 25 to 35 minutes and park beside Biograd Lake. The gentle educational trail covers about 3.3 kilometres around the water, threading through old growth trees, over small streams and across wooden footbridges. Views open repeatedly across the lake to the surrounding mountains. Complete the entire circuit and return to the same lakeside car park.

After the forest walk, drive back to Tivat and finish at the same hotel or apartment used for all ten nights. The plan ends at its starting address, so there is no accommodation change or luggage transfer after the final day out.